Big Scare Big Progress

Big Scare

The worst possible thing imaginable happened yesterday.

Amaretto was walking out on a prong that we just fitted to address her biting. We were walking on the sidewalk right outside my house at Princess and Alfred, a busy intersection in downtown Kingston. Somehow, when she pulled a little on the prong, one of the links CAME LOOSE. She ran from the side walk INTO the busy traffic both ways. We have just started restrained recall, and we both SUCK at it. So naturally, she wagged her tail and thought it was the best game ever to run AWAY from me. Traffic stopped both ways and she was just running rampant on the road. At one point, she ran slightly under the front of an SUV, and the SUV decided, "oh, no dog on the road, must be safe to start driving now". I screamed like in the movies "puuppppyyy". And I guess the driver must've seen the horrific look on my face and stopped.

I ran across the street and into an empty lot slightly fenced with cement blocks. Luckily, pupper followed me in. About 10 pedestrians came and helped me block off the little gaps between the cement blocks and help grab her as she bolted around. She thought it was the best game ever. Someone helped me grab her collar as she was running, and I immediately hooked her back to her flat collar. We went to the pet store, and got a tab for her prong instead.

The prong was just a quick thing I bought at a local pet store. One of the links came out again when I was correcting from the tab. Needless to say, I am NEVER going out with that prong as our main collar again. I returned the collar today and bought a sturdier looking one at another petstore

Thanks to the people of Kingston for stopping in the road, and for helping me catch her.

Big Progress

The prong is a GODSEND. Pupper has been SO well-behaved since going on it. I am extremely careful to only correct her for biting, and in just 2 days and less than 10 corrections, she has REALLY gotten the concept. She really thinks about it carefully when she is inclined to put her teeth on my skin now. I can pet her, brush her, and even BATHE her without being nipped. This was the girly, who two days ago, mouthed my hands for wiping her paws. I am really loving dog ownership right now. :D

Here is pupper fitted with the prong and flat collar yesterday.

Jason came to visit from Toronto this weekend, and we spent a good chunk of today out and about with pupper.

We started the day with a 1.5 hour walk in the morning to the school for some off-leash play. It was -24 today with windchill, so naturally, all three of us were numb in the face at the end.

Pupper was crated for 4 hours while we went out to eat lunch and to school again for my group meeting. At 4ish, we joined Amy and Guan for a trip to Loblaws. Pupper LOVES riding in the car, and so do I! She stayed SUPER still for the 15 minutes both there and back, and I got some good cuddling done. She leaned her head against my arms and knees. This is exactly what I thought dog ownership would be like before I got her, full of heart-warming cuddles.

Smugness.

While at the Kingston Centre, I was able to return the defective prong and get a new one from Petvalu. We also FINALLY found a flirt pole that I deemed worthy. Pupper took to the toy IMMEDIATELY. This is definitely a new favorite.

When we went home, I did a bit of structured playing with Pupper, and reinforced some basics. Without behavioral problems, this puppy is just a dream! I love teaching her, and I love playing with her. She is focused, engaged, and so much fun.

Heeling. I know it's loose by formal obedience standards, but I am SO PROUD OF THIS! :D

Waiting for a command.

Flirting.

We crated her for another 2 hours while Jason and I ate a dinner of Tonkatsu with Japanese curry. We decided to bathe her afterwards since she was shedding massively and starting to smell like a dog. IT WAS A MASSIVE STRUGGLE. She HATES the tub, HATES the shower-head, and is not a fan of the blow dryer. She did a bit of whining, tried to escape several times, and at some points when the shower-head was pointed at her, didn't want to take CHEESE. But she has improved ALOT with the blow-dryer. A month ago she barked at the dryer, now she will only try to get away, but can tolerate it.

Looking blue. Hoping to get out. Keenly eyeing opportunities.

Wet rat.

It was an even bigger struggle to put her ear cleaner in afterwards. There was a massive struggle, and she moped quite a bit after I was done. She laid down further away from me for a while before moving close again. This is her guilt-tripping me with her SAD little eyes.

What have I ever done!

 We played a FEROCIOUS game of tug right before she went to bed. Lots of panting and sweating was done by both parties. I really love tugging with her. It is so rewarding and just tons of fun. We put pupper into her crate just past 10. Busy busy day.